John 13:15-16
“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.”
It is impossible to change people by preaching at them. That may sound like a strange comment coming from a preacher, but I find it to be true. You cannot line people up and preach them into doing anything. Unfortunately, that is what we have been trying to do for years, both in our families as well as in our churches. It just does not work!
We become so focused upon changing the behavior of people that we resort to using our lungs as weapons.We yell and scream at them to quit yelling and screaming! Please read that last sentence over and over until you get the drift of what I am saying. It doesn’t work with our children or other people.
The reality is that we teach others by what we do much more than by what we say. We can quote Scriptures about the importance of telling the truth—but if those around us observe that we are stretching the truth, then we have revealed more by our actions rather than by our words. That is not good!
How can we become more like Jesus? By behaving like Him rather than just describing what He is like. Yes, we can use His life as an example, but our changed life will speak much louder than our words.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil